Keep on Learning
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

Whether or not alarm companies educate their customers will play an important role in determining the future of the security industry. Whether or not you continue your education will play a decisive role in the future of your company.

Your customer doesn't need to know how to install a PIR, but they do need to know enough about security to make informed purchasing decisions. You need to know not only how to install a PIR, but how to help your customers make those informed purchasing decisions. And that's just the beginning. Learning is more than just technical knowledge. Education is an ongoing process. Like a professional athlete, you should always be training to improve your business and enhance your service.

Think of learning as a workout program. There are four basic areas to concentrate on: product and service knowledge, technical skills, people skills, and customer knowledge. All are important and work together to build up yourself and your business. Keep in mind, not everything you need to learn specifically relates to the security field.

Product and Service Knowledge

* Are you familiar with the products you install? How about the ones your
competitor installs? Customers expect you to know more about your products
and services you sell than they do. They also expect you to know about the
products and service of your competitor so you can help them evaluate and
make educated choices.

* Do you know what questions customers and potential customers ask most
about the security industry and how to answer them?

* Are you keeping up with new industry products and trends? The security
industry like the rest of the world is changing at a dizzying speed.

Technical Skills

* Are you using your computer system productively to better your business and improve customer service? For instance, computers can merge your database of names with a sales letter, keep track of service calls and provide information
and statistics. Computers can also keep track of the progress of your sales staff
or chart false alarm trends.

* Do you and your staff know how to fill out the paperwork such as service orders
so that it provides you with facts, figures, greater revenue and improved
customer service?

* Do you know how to work the machines in your office, such as the phone?

Don't laugh. I don't know how many times I have been cut off and disconnected while being transferred. By the way, do you know how to set up a conference
call?

People Skills

How good are your people skills? Tape record yourself on the phone or ask someone to observe while you work with a customer. Ask for comments and suggestions for improvements. Make sure you get positive feedback too.

Customer Knowledge

* What does your customer want, need and expect today?

* Do you show a genuine interest in your customers and the answers they give to your questions?

* Try to keep one step ahead of your customers. Always ask how you can help
them in the future. Don't forget that customers change. They are learning too.

Never stop learning. The security industry offers a myriad of opportunities for growth. Look at the magazine you are reading. From cover to cover you can learn about new products, industry news, association news, technical articles, new trends, other alarm companies, legal issues and much more. Not only will you learn, but you can do it from the comfort of your home or office.

Another way of learning is through seminars. They are filled subjects ranging from managing yoursales staff to controlling stress. Conventions are also good for networking. You can share ideas with other alarm dealers from across the state or country.

Can't make it to this year's convention? How about picking up an audio tape and listening to it in the car? There are also video tapes and books available. Go outside the industry into your local bookstore. While the books and tapes may not focus on the security industry, there is an abundance of choices and the principles are the same.

Learning is a life long process and you'll never really graduate this university. Alarm dealers who continue their own education will flow into the future, ready for the challenges. Those alarm dealers who won't "stay in school" will be left behind.